SMAR JBEIL مسار الفينيقيني THE PHOENICIANS' ROUTE مسار جبيل INTRODUCTION .Smar Jbeil is one of the oldest Lebanese villages and the most significant in its history ,” طرش األبصر على ما حيتوي لبنان من األثر“ According to Dr. Henri Lammens in his book

It has a very old castle at the western entrance of the village and built on a strategic hill. Showing from its western side, the Mediterranean coast from Jbeil to Tripoli, and from its eastern side the mountains of , especially the famous Cedars of God Mountain near Bcharri.

Under the supervision of North Lebanon Governate, exactly in the District and 500 meters above sea level.

HISTORICAL MAPPING

Smar Jbeil Castle

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Byblos Castle

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Scale 1/1000

The Castle was built in the center of the village, on St. Takla Church which is smaller, yet very old a hill, showing the entire neighbourhood. Most of The old church of St. Bassil and Nohra stands in the center Close to St. Nohra, an old little ruined chapel with a single church, venerated by the Parish until today. Dur- the historians recognize that the castle was built of the village. It is constructed of mixed elements from a Ro- nave could be seen, Our Lady of Gifts Church. It is believed ing recent excavations, two columns were found by the Phoenicians, and was under the Persian man temple and some later material, notably from Medieval that this church is older than St. Nohra’s Church. with a cellar between them. A thousand-year-old Empire control in 555 B.C. times. oak tree spreads its boughs near the church. Smar Jbeil Castle Mar Nohra Church Our Lady of Gifts Church St. Takla Church 400 meters above sea level above 400 meters

26 Km Section AA Castle Smar Jbeil Castle Smar Jbeil Overlooking Byblos Castle

PLAN AND TIMELINE OF SMAR JBEIL CITADEL CHRONOLOGY OF MAIN EVENTS 1200 - 333 B.C. - Phoenician and Canaanite Period 0. Dunegeon Most of the historians recognize that the Smar Jbeil Citadel 1. Internal Enclosure was built by the Phoenicians, and was under the Persian Em- 2. External Enclosure 12 3. Defensive Towers pire control in 555 B.C. Due to its Phoenician name and its 13 4. Ditch meaning, it seems Smar Jbeil was a plot to guard and observe 5. Pedestrian Door 6. Animals Door the Byblos citadel. 7. Vaulted Passage 8. Postern 2 9. Cisterns 10. Throughs 11. Latrine 1 12. Bas-Reliefs 11 8 13. Burial Chambers 14. Access 9 15. Presses 3 0 10 3

6 1 3 7 15 9 14 2 64 B.C. - 635 A.D. - Roman and Byzantine Period 4 The Roman troops conquered the village from its northern side under the leadership of Pompey the Great, probably dur- ing his Eastern campaign in 63 B.C. Till today, we can see some Roman statues in the castle as well as a Roman theater with its circular architecture. Phoenician citadel rebuilt by Ittobaal 5 King of Tyre (887-856 B.C.). 684 A.D. - The Maronite Period

Scale 1/250 The and their army (The Maradites), came to Smar Jbeil as a refuge place after centuries of persecution by Byz- antines in . They took control of the castle where they installed their patriarch. The first Patriarch Saint lived in Smar Jbeil castle before moving to Kfarhay.

636 - 696 A.D. - Islamic Period The Arabs invaded the village after the crushing of the Byzan- tine Empire in the 9th century and controlled the village until 0 7 Dunegeon Vaulted Passage the Crusaders attacked them from the . 1090 - 1099 A.D. - Crusader Period The Crusaders demolished the old castle and built a new one called “Chateau Fort”, meaning Strong Castle, because of its strategic location. They built a new church on the south east- ern side of the castle. In addition, they remodelled the old church of St. Nohra, which was itself built on the ruins of an old Roman Temple. The church still has a Crusader Cross on its western entrance.

8 Postern 15 Presses 13 Burial Chambers

TIMELINE OF THE CITADEL 1516 - 1917 A.D. - Ottoman Period They were defeated in 1516 A.D. by the Ottomans. The Otto- Built by the Phoenicians The Castle has a main The Crusaders built base- A huge earthquake hit the mans, under the Sultan Selim I, invaded the region and brought and controlled by the Per- tower showing the entire ments around its two tow- castle and demolished the with them afterwards the Muslim Shiia to the heart of the sian Empire in 555 B.C. Mediterranean coast from ers and a church on the side center tower from its four Maronites (Eastern Catholic) region. They built a mosque on Jounieh to Tripoli. facing north. corners in 1630 to Tripoli. the eastern side of the castle. The village recover its Maronite identity in the next century and the mosque was turned into a residence place.

EVALUATION OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

Smar Jbeil has one of the most beautiful citadels in Lebanon, yet it is not given enough credit by the Ministry of Culture. Even though some renovations have taken place, the lack of public knowledge about Smar Jbeil has left the citadel an unknown object. However, the people of Smar Jbeil did not neglect it, to them, the preservation of their village is a priority. Although people do not visit Smar Jbeil for its historical identity, the citizens did not fall back on keeping their history alive. Unlike the citadel of Byblos, it is not used as an economic input, and because of the lack of advertising, it is only visited by people who target it, which are a rare minority.

As for the churches, although they are considered landmarks, they are highly non-functional, as they are closed most of the time. And when opened, they are mostly targeted by the citizens.